Northwoods Map Company
Creative maps of Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The primary purpose of any map is to convey information. Almost as important is aesthetics. I try to take it a step further and convey a sense of place. I want to give the viewer a feeling of "being there", almost like an illustrated snapshot. A map is history, it should tell a story. It illustrates the juxtaposition of human civilization and geography. A map shows settlements and communities, how they are interconnected, and how they interact with geography.
One of my primary objectives is to map a specific area, not just a specific feature. Many maps of this area have a singluar focus but don't really show much else. My goal is to be intensely detailed but to not get in the way of the big picture. Another goal is to include as much territory as necessary to satisfy the concept of place, and not be confined by political boundaries. As a result, many of these maps have somewhat irregular dimensions. I want to make the details easily visible and legible but not obscure the geography. I try to make geography the priority; this is what makes the area feel real.